


Meet Amelia

by TuppingLiberty



Series: Organa's Organics [15]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Farm/Ranch, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, relationship building
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-27
Updated: 2016-02-27
Packaged: 2018-05-23 14:44:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6119724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TuppingLiberty/pseuds/TuppingLiberty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The development of the family relationship between Finn, Poe, and Amelia, a child they've been matched with.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Meet Amelia

**Author's Note:**

> This got quite long, but I don't know where I would cut it to make it two pieces. Persevere, my pretties! I promise that it's all worth it!
> 
> I tried to do a little research into what the adoption process looks like here in Oregon. If anything is inaccurate, sorry.

Finn and Mary cheered as Poe passed to his teammate, who then scored. As he’d predicted, the weekly soccer games were one of Finn’s favorite parts of winter.  Aggressive soccer Poe wasn’t a surprise anymore, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t a welcome visitor in Finn’s life.

Mary turned to him as the players reset the ball at center field. “So, you have an adoption meeting tomorrow?”

Finn fidgeted, a combination of nerves and excitement. “Yeah.  Sharon thinks she has someone for us. A little girl.  And some other possible matches.”

“Finn!” Mary hugged him, then waved her hands around, unable to contain her excitement.  “Oh, my God!  It’s happening!”

Finn smiled. “It’s happening!”  He joined her briefly in a seat boogie.

“Do you know anything else?  How old is she?  Who’s her favorite princess?  Oh, I love little girls.” Finn knew that Mary loved her nephews, but was always hoping a pregnancy announcement in her family would bring a little girl into the mix.

“Sharon hasn’t told us anything, not even her name.  We have to be patient,” Finn said, mostly to try and calm Mary down.  “It might not be the right fit.”

Mary’s eyes lit up again, though, and she burst out with “Oh! But you guys need stuff!  We should throw you a baby shower! Do adoptive parents do that?”

Finn smiled. “It’s not uncommon.  But since we know nothing about her, we probably shouldn’t go out and get all the ‘stuff’ yet.”

Mary waved a hand at that. “Oh you, being sensible.  Well, I’m keeping the idea on tap,” she said as she tapped the side of her head.

“You know I’d love anything you did in our honor.”  

Mary was uncharacteristically silent for a couple of minutes. “A few matches? Are there really that many kids out there that need adopting?”

Finn sighed.  “Yeah, sadly.  And Poe and I are just looking at domestic adoption.”

Mary looked at him. “You guys are going to make someone really happy, I just know it,” she said sincerely.  

“Thank you.  I really feel that in my heart, too.” He wrapped an arm around Mary’s waist and drew her into a side hug.  

Then, they were both cheering again as the goalie on Poe’s team made a spectacular save and everyone was racing for the opposite end of the field.

\-----------------------------------------

Hand in hand with Poe, Finn paused briefly before the door to Sharon’s office. Poe glanced at him inquiringly. “You ready, baby?”

He smiled back at Poe, then raised their hands to kiss his knuckles, as was their habit, for comfort. “We are.”

Poe smiled. “Yeah, we are.”

Minutes later they were seated in front of Sharon’s desk, waiting anxiously as she organized files on her desk.

“So,” she began, “there are several children we could look at, but I want to start with Amelia.  Her social worker and I have been talking extensively about your file, and hers, and I truly think that she could thrive with you two.” Sharon smiled sweetly at them.

She passed them a photo, and Finn held it out so they could both see it. It showed a young girl of Asian descent, not quite smiling at the camera, a black fringe of bangs across her forehead. She was sitting at the base of a tree, with a Dr. Seuss book, and, in the picture, it looked like she might have been crying recently.

“Amelia is a just over four years old.  Her birthday was in early January.  She’s from Oregon. A little over a year ago, she lost both of her parents in a car accident.”

Poe sucked in a breath, and Finn clasped his hand, comforting him.

“Yes, Poe, I know you can relate to that experience, which is one of the many reasons I feel like you are all a good fit. And here’s another one: her parents were also immigrants, from Japan, and all efforts at locating family from there have proved fruitless, including working with the Japanese government.  She’s well and truly alone, and she’s been in the system since the accident.”

Finn raised an eyebrow at Sharon. “Why?  Why hasn’t she been adopted?” He knew he probably sounded naive, but really, the girl was already tugging at his heart strings.

“Amelia has a couple of things working against her in the process. Some prospective adoptees have been turned away by her background.”  Sharon pinched her lips a bit, and Finn understood that she meant the people who were looking only for white kids. “She has also been largely non-communicative since the accident.  Not selective mutism, but her way of dealing with the trauma has been to isolate herself.  She requires counseling.  She attends now, and her counselor has been very good at coaxing her to talk.  For some prospective parents, dealing with that type of thing at such a young age seems insurmountable.”

Poe was tense. In fact, he seemed to be vibrating slightly under his skin.  Finn squeezed his hand.  

“Finally, what proves to be the dealbreaker for some people who’ve looked at her, according to her social worker, is that Amelia was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes when she was two years old.  She’s fairly stable, but obviously her condition requires strict supervision, especially as she grows. You two indicated that you would be willing to adopt a child with medical needs, which again shows your ability to match. However, you would need to learn a lot of information very rapidly about Amelia’s condition, as out-of-control diabetes in young children can cause cognitive problems later on.”

Poe couldn’t seem to contain himself any longer. “Are you telling me that people rejected her because she’s quiet?  And they would have to monitor her blood sugar? That’s fucking ridiculous! Is everyone’s story like this? How can you stand it without just saying, ‘Let’s adopt the whole world?’” Finn reached over to rub Poe’s tense shoulders.

“Frankly, I agree with you, Poe, which is why I’m introducing you to Amelia. I see a lot of heartbreak in my line of work, and I honestly think that you two could be the ones to alleviate hers.”  She looked pointedly at the way Finn was soothing Poe.  “The love in your household was apparent to me the first time I met with you both. Listen, I’m going to give you two a second to talk.  Would you like anything to drink?” They both declined, and she left her office, shutting the door behind her.

Poe stood, pacing away some of his irritation. Finn let him, knowing Poe well enough to see that he needed to work it out. Finally, Poe stopped and sat again, taking Finn’s hands. “I...I know that when we meet her, it may not work, but you're with me on this, right?”

Finn looked straight into Poe’s eyes. “Absolutely. I'm 100% with you, always. Let's meet Amelia. I'll go get Sharon.” He got up, then paused and placed a hand on Poe’s shoulder, squeezing when Poe looked up at him. “It pisses me off, too, Poe. I hope we can be the ones for Amelia. She deserves better than what's she's gotten out of life so far.”

\------------------

Within a few days, a meeting was set at Amelia’s current foster home. Finn was grateful that her counselor had agreed to come, along with her social worker who was required to be there, so that Amelia would have a buffer between herself and total strangers.

It was a rainy January morning, one of those days that made it feel like winter was just going to keep on going forever. As Poe pulled up to the nondescript house in one of the Portland suburbs, Finn clutched the stuffed toy he'd brought. He'd been happy to find it, knew it was fate when he'd seen the stuffed black cat with blue eyes. He could give Amelia her own Buli to play with.

They were greeted at the door by the foster mom, Linda, who looked apologetic. “Amelia hasn't come out of her room all morning.”

A kind looking man crossed the room, holding out his hand. “Hi, I'm Steve Drew, Amelia’s counselor.” Finn and Poe introduced themselves, shaking hands with Steve, and Avery, Amelia’s caseworker. “I've prepared Amelia as much as possible for your visit. I think she would be happy to let us meet in her room, if we ask.”

Finn nodded. “That would be fine.”

Steve led them down a hallway, knocking lightly on a door. A pause, and then the door opened and there she was, pensive face, straight glossy black hair hanging to her shoulders, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt with Nemo on it. Finn knew his heart was in his throat, and he reached for Poe’s hand.

“Amelia, I'd like you to meet Finn and Poe.” They each raised a hand in greeting. “Could we come in?”

Amelia peered at Finn and Poe with guarded eyes, but nodded, opening the door wider. The room was comfortable but contained only the necessities.  Finn longed to give her a room filled with anything she ever wanted, even as he knew that her foster parents were doing what they could.  Amelia crossed over to the window, staring out at the rain.  Steve sat on the floor, cross legged, and indicated that Finn and Poe should do the same, as Avery remained standing by the door, observing. Finn tried not to fidget in the awkward silence, and felt Poe doing the same next to him. Steve gave them a reassuring nod.

“Amelia, would you like to show Finn and Poe your book collection?”

She turned around, eyes a bit brighter, smiling slightly, and nodded. She went to the closet and dug out a stack of books.  She sat between Finn and Steve, probably because at least she knew Steve, but she looked up at Finn and said, “These are my favorites,” in a near whisper.

Finn went through the stack one by one, asking Amelia about each book.  Finn noticed Poe scoot closer and was happy when the movement didn’t startle Amelia away.  When they had gone through the stack, Amelia looked at Finn again. “When will it stop raining?”

Finn smiled, and Poe chuckled a bit. “You sound like Finn,” Poe said to her. “He doesn’t like the rain either.”

Amelia glanced between Finn and Poe, lips pursed. “No, I like the rain, it’s just that Linda won’t let me outside when it’s raining.” She said this matter of factly.

“Do you like to go outside?” Finn asked.

Amelia’s eyes widened, and she became the most animated she had been so far. “I love outside!  There are flowers, and trees, and bugs, and puddles, and sometimes we go to the park.”

“We love the outdoors, too,” Finn responded. “In fact, we live on a farm.”

“What’s that?”

“Well, it’s a place where people grow food outdoors, and there are horses, and cows, and chickens.”  With each word Finn added, Amelia’s eyes grew larger and larger.

“Can I go to your farm?” she asked excitedly.

The adults shared a glance, and Finn smiled again. “If you want to, I’m sure we could make that happen.”  Finn pulled the stuffed toy out from under his shed jacket. “If you come visit, you’ll get to meet Buli.  She’s our kitty and she looks just like this.” He handed the toy to Amelia.

Amelia patted the fake fur with reverence. “That sounds fun.”

“And we can show you the chicken coop, and the horse stable,” Poe added.  Amelia smiled at him.

They continued to visit, Finn and Poe reading Amelia some of her books and continuing to talk about all the activities that could be done outdoors.

After a while, Amelia looked over at Steve, and whispered, “You’re right, Steve.  I do like Finn and Poe.”

Finn saw Poe gulp rapidly out of the corner of his eye, knew he was fighting to hold in his feelings like always. He rubbed Poe’s knee.  “Do you know why we're here, Amelia?”

“Steve said that maybe you would take care of me. If I want you to.”

“That's right. And maybe, Amelia, if you’d like it, you could come live with us.”

“I want to visit the farm first,” Amelia said practically, making all of the adults laugh.

When Finn and Poe prepared to leave Amelia’s room, she smiled and waved from the doorway.  But, as Finn was getting ready to walk out the front door, he heard rapid little feet behind him and suddenly Amelia was attached to his leg. She looked up at him. “Thank you for Buli.” She was still clutching the toy. “Goodbye,” she whispered softly, aware of the many adults in the room.  Finn crouched down at her eye level and kissed her cheek.

“Goodbye, sweet pea.”

She ran just as quickly back to the safety of her room.

In the pickup, Poe held out his hand, kissed Finn’s, and smiled. “You made an impact.”

“Yeah,” Finn said, surprised at the tears stinging his eyes. “Well, we did, I think.”

Poe’s smile faltered a bit. “I’ll tell you right now that I will do my damnedest to make sure we get to keep Amelia, if she wants us.  But you won her heart, not me.” Poe raised a hand to stop Finn, who had opened his mouth. “I know, it sounds really selfish.  I hate myself a bit for saying it.”

Finn knew this was Poe’s past insecurities rearing their ugly head again. “Poe, it’s okay.  This is all the kind of stuff we have to figure out parenting.  But, I also truly believe she’s going to worship her cowboy daddy someday. Who’s going to do all the outdoorsy stuff with her? Trust me.”

Poe inhaled deeply. “You’re right,” he said finally. “Finn, I’m already in love.  When she made all the animal sounds for that one book?  Heart, gone.  Goodbye.”

Finn smiled. “Me too.  And how she kept her mini-Buli with her the whole time.”

“I want to buy her, like, five thousand toys.”

“Well, we can start with the necessities, right?  Like a car seat. Do you think we should upgrade the pickup?  She won’t be able to ride in here for years.  Oh, and we should paint her room…”

\-----------------------------------------

They met again, and this time it wasn’t raining, so even though it was freezing, they all walked to the park.  Amelia asked Finn to push her in the swing.  Poe made faces at her every time she swung up, making her giggle. Finn wasn’t sure his heart would be able to take it.  Finn and Poe had also met with the doctors that were currently involved with Amelia’s diabetes care, and learned how to monitor blood sugar and symptoms for hypoglycemia. It was overwhelming, but they were determined.

Everyone agreed, even Amelia, in a quiet voice, that things were going well.  The weekend after their second meeting, they brought Amelia to the farm for two days, just to test things out.

Amelia was quiet on the drive, until they started to slow down for the turn into their driveway. “Are we here?”

“Yeah, this is it!” When the car stopped, Finn got out and got Amelia out of her car seat along with her stuffed Buli.  He kept her on his hip for a second, and pointed. “I know there’s not a lot to see right now in February, but look, some of the flowers we planted are starting to send up shoots.”  Finn carried her over to the garden, setting her down and examining the bulb shoots with her. “These are going to be daffodils, and over here, crocus.”

Poe walked up behind them, carrying Amelia’s small pack of overnight necessities. “What would you like to do first, Amelia?  We could meet the real Buli, or we could walk to the farm.”

Still shy with Poe, Amelia looked down at the ground and answered in a whisper, “Can we go to the farm?”

“Sure, sweet pea,” Finn responded. “Would you like a snack on our way?” She nodded, and Poe handed her a cheese stick from her pack before taking everything inside. Since Amelia was small for her age, Finn could offer, “Do you want a ride on my shoulders?”  Her eyes lit up and she nodded.

Once she was situated, Poe having returned and smiling at the sight, and they were all walking the path to the farm, Amelia leaned to whisper in Finn’s ear. “Why do you call me sweet pea?”

“Uh, it’s an endearment,” Finn looked at Poe for help.  “Like a nickname.”

“Yeah, like how sometimes you hear me call Finn “baby”?  That’s a nickname.  I use it because I love him,” said Poe sincerely, looking first at Amelia and then Finn.  At Finn’s smile, he leaned in to brush his lips across Finn’s, which made Amelia giggle.

“So, do you love me, Finn?”

Finn locked eyes with Poe, and could have punched him for the humor he saw jumping in Poe’s eyes. Poe made up for it by rubbing Finn’s arm.  “Yes, Amelia, I do.”

“So, if I love you, should I call you baby?”

This time neither Finn or Poe could contain the smirks. They were approaching the cottage, and Finn lifted Amelia off his shoulders, which gave him time to think of a proper response.  He knelt on one knee in front of her. “Well, if you do love me, and it’s okay if you don’t think you do right now, maybe you could call me daddy.  Or dad.”

Amelia very seriously pondered that, as if she was filing it away for future reference. “Okay.”

Finn stood up, holding out a hand for Amelia to grab, and another for Poe.  They showed Amelia the cottage, where she stood slightly behind Finn to meet Elisa, then the fields, the greenhouses, the chicken yard, and finally the horse barn.

Finn helped Amelia feed BB-8 a carrot.  The horse nickered in delight, which was always slightly off putting to Finn, but Amelia smiled. Finn glanced at Poe. “Amelia, did you know that Poe can ride horses?”

As Finn had hoped, Amelia looked at Poe with big eyes full of wonder. “You can?”

Poe nodded. “It’s easier to get around the farm if I use BB-8 here.”  Amelia’s little mouth dropped open, which was pretty much the cutest thing Finn had seen her do, in the last five minutes anyway. “And someday, when you’re a little bigger, I could teach you how to ride, too.”

Her stunned expression grew bigger, somehow. “Yes!  I want to do that!  When?”

Poe lifted her up to his hip, and brought her closer to BB-8 so she could pet the horse’s mane. “A few years should do it.”

“Years! But that’s forever!” Amelia pouted.

 _Oh man, she’s going to have us wrapped around her finger,_ Finn thought as he saw conflict on Poe’s face.

Poe made his decision, and pulled up his lip in a pout, too. In his best toddler girl pouty voice, he said, “I know, it’s forever.  But those are the rules, and we have to follow the rules.”

Amelia giggled at the face and the voice, and the crisis was averted.

They took her to meet Leia, and surprisingly, Amelia took to her almost right away.  Then again, Leia was always wonderful with the children who came to the farm, so maybe it wasn’t a surprise that she had Amelia basically eating out of her hand by the end of the visit.

They walked home in the dark, then gave Amelia a tour of the house. Finn paused, his hand on a doorknob. “Here’s where you will be staying, Amelia,” swinging the door open wide with a little flair.

Immediately after their first meeting, Finn and Poe had set about painting the room for her.  The four walls feature a continuous outdoors scene, with green grass and a blue sky peppered with white fluffy clouds.  After borrowing a projector from work, Finn had painted a fairly passable oak tree on one wall.  The bed, night stand, and bookshelf were all painted a forest green.  Finn held his breath as Amelia stepped into the room. He glanced at Poe nervously.  Poe smiled and moved closer to him, picking up his hand in comfort.

“I get to sleep in here?”

“Yeah, we were hoping that, even if it was rainy, you’d have a place to remind you of the outdoors.”

Amelia turned to face them, taking in their joined hands for a second, and smiled. “It’s so pretty!”  She ran back to them and hugged both of them around their knees. Finn ran a hand through her hair affectionately. When she was done, she looked back up at them.  “Finn, Poe, I’m hungry.”

“Well then, sounds like it’s dinner time,” Poe said. He looked at Finn “Why don't I get things started while you guys take care of…” His eyes moved to Amelia’s overnight bag pointedly.

Finn nodded. Logically, it made sense for Finn to do the blood sugar testing, since Amelia was more comfortable with him. That didn't mean that he wouldn't be extracting some payback from Poe for making him do it first when they were alone in bed later. Even though the doctor had had Finn and Poe practice on each other, Finn was still nervous about causing Amelia any sort of pain.

But, when he got out the blood testing kit, Amelia came over and sat on her bed, obediently sticking out her hand. _I guess if you have to do something twice a day or more, you get used to it,_ Finn thought. _God willing, I get the same chance._ Finn went through the actions, Amelia quietly correcting him sometimes, and recorded the date, time and blood sugar number in the little journal that was kept with her stuff. When he was done, he wrapped her in his arms, intending to hug and release her quickly, more as comfort to himself, but she hugged him back, and he placed a quick kiss on the crown of her head, murmuring, “That's my brave little sweet pea.”

After a moment, she pulled back, and Finn said, “Shall we go see what Poe’s up to?” She nodded eagerly. Finn smiled. He'd make a Poe-lover of her yet.  They found Poe in the living room, picking at his guitar, a kitchen timer in front of him.

Poe looked up and smiled at them as they walked in, the love on his face so apparent, Finn wasn't sure why he didn't just melt into a puddle. “How'd everything go?” He continued to play, and Amelia walked to him to get a closer look.

“A-Ok. Pizza’s in the oven?” Poe nodded. Finn was obsessed now with diabetes websites. If he had any time at work, he shifted over to an open tab of recipes or forums for parents of toddlers with diabetes. And though their cooking skills were both limited, they'd put together a whole wheat crust pizza for tonight that had been recommended on one of the posts. Finn chewed his lip, knowing toddlers were notorious for refusing food.

Poe, who had been showing Amelia how to play different chords, glanced up and noticed Finn’s worried habit. He looked back at Amelia. “Would you like me to sing you a song?” Amelia nodded eagerly, then laughed when she recognized I See the Light from Tangled. Poe had been working to add a lot of kid friendly songs to his repertoire over the last six months. Finn knew that Poe was trying to relax him, but didn't begrudge him the fact that it worked. He sat on the couch next to Poe, wrapping an arm around his waist and laying his head down on his shoulder. Amelia climbed into his lap, and they both listened to Poe until the timer went off a few minutes later. Years afterward, Finn would reflect that it was the first time the three of them felt like a real family.

Despite Finn’s worries, they all came through dinner like a champ. They tried to replicate the routine her foster mother Linda had implemented, which meant pajamas at 7, insulin shot given, teeth brushed and ready for stories by 7:15. Finn was grateful that, even though it was awful that prospective adoptive parents had overlooked Amelia, at least she had been in an excellent foster situation for the last six or so months. When Finn finished reading The Cat in the Hat, Poe leaned in to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. Finn followed suit, whispering, “Goodnight, sweet pea.”

“Goodnight, daddy,” she whispered back as she closed her eyes.  

Finn was as stunned as if he'd been sucker punched in the nose. In fact, Poe had to tug him up off the bed, coax him out of the room, so Amelia could sleep.

They made it downstairs before Finn was a weepy mess, face buried in Poe’s shoulder, Poe’s hands rubbing over his back. “Shhh, baby,” Poe said. Finn heard the catch of emotion in his voice too.

“I didn't realize fatherhood would turn me into a cry baby,” Finn mumbled into Poe’s neck.

Finn felt Poe’s chuckle rumble through his chest. “I object to the term ‘cry baby.’ We prefer ‘sensitive.’”

Tears finished, Finn chuckled too, then lifted his head to capture Poe’s mouth. A vital urgency filled him, all of a sudden, like everything was falling into place and he had to show Poe exactly how much he loved him, right now.

When they were finished, laying out on the living room rug, breathless, they both realized that Amelia could have walked in on them at any time, and wouldn't that have been an interesting conversation.

“We'll be more careful next time,” Poe said, still kissing and sucking at Finn’s throat from below him. “Just boring vanilla bed sex from now on.”

Finn smiled, too tired to laugh. “Yes, because confining ourselves to our bed has always stopped us from anything except boring, vanilla sex.” He extracted himself from Poe, sitting up and beginning to gather their clothes. He helped Poe clean up, then yawned. “I didn't realize parents imposed a bed time so that they could go to bed early too.”

“Well, I'm sure they also want to fuck first, then go to bed.” Poe grinned.

\-------------------------

Poe woke Finn up the next morning by sitting on his side of the bed and running a hand over his cheek. Finn blinked at him, taking in the fact that he was fully dressed. “Good morning, babe.  I checked on Amelia, she was up but playing by herself in her room.”

Finn processed that slowly. “She probably needs some time to herself.  Did you-”

“Yeah, blood sugar and insulin done. No crying from anyone, I’m very proud of myself.” Poe smiled.

Finn sat up, brushing his lips across Poe’s. “I’m proud of you, too,” he said sincerely.  

“I think Buli slept with her last night. She’s in there now on Amelia’s bed, anyway.”

“Awwww.”  Still tired, feeling sentimental, he rested his forehead against Poe’s. “We’re so fucking lucky.”

“Yeah, we are.”

Finn inhaled deeply, lifting his head and throwing his covers off. “Okay, I can put together breakfast. Did you talk to her about going to the zoo? Is it raining?”

“Yes, we talked, and she thinks that sounds fun, and no, it’s not raining. In fact, we’re supposed to have a high of 50 today.”

“Anything else?” Finn was pulling on a shirt.

“Well, she asked if daddy was up yet.” Poe crossed to him, hugging Finn around the waist. “I guess she’s made up her mind about you anyway.”

“Just promise me you won’t take her riding just to get her to love you,” Finn said, squeezing Poe and then releasing him, trying to keep things light.

Poe seemed to accept his ploy. “Scout’s honor.”

Finn turned as he headed out into the hallway. “That doesn’t work on me, Poe.  I know you were never a scout!”

Taking Amelia to the Portland zoo was both exhilarating and a lesson in patience for Finn and Poe. It was hard not to smile endearingly as she got the same wide-eyed expression over every single animal habitat, but Amelia herself became annoyed when Finn fussed too much over her blood sugar levels.  She was in the middle of refusing a snack from Finn after running around the play area, when Poe asked Finn to step away and breathe for a bit.  Finn didn’t know what Poe and Amelia talked about, but she accepted the cheese stick from him.  Finn tried not to feel frustrated that _he_ hadn't been able to get her to eat it.   _This is parenting, right?_ _Doesn’t matter who gets to the finish line, as long as we get there. Pull it together, Finn._

Finn was not at all surprised when Amelia fell asleep in the car seat on the ride home, and rather than disturb her, Poe drove them around the Willamette Valley country for a bit.  The land was starting to show more signs of Spring, which felt so right considering how Finn was brimming with light and happiness. When Amelia started stirring, they began to head home.  By the time they reached the house, Amelia was already halfway through a rambling account of all the amazing animals she had seen that day.

Finn lifted her out of her car seat and set her on the ground, and she held a hand out to him, even though they were feet away from the house. He grasped it. “And remember, daddy, the lion?  I was hoping he would roar but he was asleep.” She held the stuffed lion they had gotten her from the gift shop.

Finn let them in the side door, signalling Amelia to wipe her shoes by wiping his own. “Well, remember when you met Buli yesterday and she was asleep?  Lions are just like big kitties.  They like to sleep all day, too.  But if the lion had roared, what would he have sounded like?”  Finn smiled at Poe as she made a loud roaring sound for her stuffed lion.

“Can I go put my lion with my Buli?”

“Of course, sweet pea.  Would you like to play in your room a bit?”

“Yeah,” she said, shyly. It was something to work on, Finn noted, teaching her that it was alright to ask to be alone.

When she had run upstairs, Poe turned to Finn. “You know, we’re damned lucky that none of the other prospective parents actually hung out with her for more than 5 minutes, or they would have noticed that she’s one of those people who’s only shy around people they don’t know. Kind of like you.”

Finn got indignant. “Excuse me, which of the two of us let a complete stranger, possibly an ax murderer, carry him off to parts unknown on the first day they met? _And_ let him kiss me?”

“What can I say, babe?” Poe stole a quick kiss. “Obviously I bring out the best in you.”

Finn snorted. “Obviously.” But then he broke, smiling. “ You're right. We’re damned lucky all the other couples didn't match with Amelia.”

Later that evening, Finn grinned down at his mom via video chat on his phone.  “Hi! Are you guys ready to meet Amelia?”

“Your father might be along later,” Anne said, and Finn could tell she was trying to send a message through her eyes to him, but he didn’t exactly know what it was.

He frowned slightly. “Okay, well, I’m not sure if she’ll just want to sit down and talk, mom, but she’s playing in the living room right now, so I thought maybe we could do a low pressure visit?”

Anne smiled. “That’s fine, Finn. I’ll take time with my prospective granddaughter any way I can.”

“Oh, um,” and Finn felt himself flush a bit, “she calls me daddy now.”

Anne’s eyes lit up, and she glanced at something off screen. “Oh, honey.  How wonderful.”

Finn blew out a breath, smiling. “Okay, let’s meet Amelia.” He walked to the living room and sat on the couch.  Poe was showing Amelia the Duplo blocks they’d picked up at a thrift store somewhere.

Poe waved to the phone.  “Hi, Anne, Findley.”  Amelia looked up from the structure she was building, then came over to Finn to check out what he was doing.

“Amelia, this is my mom, Anne.  Do you want to say hi?”  Amelia stared intently at the small screen, looking back and forth between Finn and Anne. Then, she climbed up next to Finn, laying into his side, and waved at the screen. Poe came to join them.

“This is going to sound strange, Finn, believe me, I know it, but she reminds me of you at that age.”

Finn and Poe smiled, and Amelia looked up at Finn, confused. “But we don’t look anything like each other, daddy. Not like you and her,” Amelia said quietly, pointing to Anne.

Finn was at a loss, but Anne stepped in, “You and daddy might not have the same skin color, sweetie, but inside, I bet you’re very similar.”

Amelia looked at Finn with wide eyes. “Woooooow,” she said softly, and everyone laughed. Finn thought he heard his father’s low rumbling laugh from offscreen.

They chatted for awhile longer before starting their goodbyes. “So, Amelia gets to stay with us tonight, and then we get to have a nice Sunday breakfast, and we’ll take her to an appointment with Steve, her counselor.”  Amelia perked up slightly at Steve’s name.

“And then I get to come back and sleep here, right?”

Poe and Finn glanced at each other over Amelia’s head.  Finn answered. “Um, if that’s what you want to do, sweet pea.  Do you want to stay with us?”  On the other line, it seemed like Anne was holding her breath.

“Do I get to stay forever, or do I have to move again like I did before?”

This time, Poe replied, “You could stay with us forever, if you want to.” Poe looked into Amelia’s eyes. “Finn and I want you to stay very much.  We were hoping that you would like us as much as we love you.”

Amelia’s eyes got very serious as she looked at Poe, then Finn, then back to Poe. “I want to stay here with you and daddy and Buli and BB-8 and my indoor tree and my outdoor trees and the chickens and…” she faltered, trying to think of more things to list.

“Well, then,” said Finn, as all the adults smiled, “I think we can make that happen.”

Anne wiped away a tear, then looked like she was steeling herself to say something hard. “I know you need to go, Finn, but could we talk privately for a moment?”

Finn met Poe’s eyes again over Amelia’s head. Poe stepped in. “Amelia, can you wave goodbye to Anne?  We need to do pjs and teeth and insulin.”  Amelia waved, and Poe bundled her upstairs.

“She’s precious,” Anne sighed.

“She totally is. Mom, what’s up? How come dad won’t come on the screen?  I can hear you back there, dad.”

Anne moved her screen to include Findley, and Finn gasped a bit at the change.  Findley sat in an armchair, though it seemed like the armchair was swallowing him, a blanket over his slender body, and oxygen tubing running around his ears and to his nose.

“Don’t be upset, Finn. I won’t have my only grandchild remembering me as some laid up invalid with scary tubes coming out of my face.” Just like that, Finn’s heart was breaking. _How is he already so far gone?_

Anne clutched Findley’s hand for a moment, then got up, moving out of the room. “Finn, they… his doctors have brought up hospice care. I know things are going to be busy for you for awhile, but if you could visit, one last time… It would mean a lot to both of us.”

“Do they, do you know how much time he has?”

“They think eight weeks, maybe ten.”

“But that’s not a year!  Last July, you guys said a year!”

Anne eyes teared up. “Oh, honey.  That’s the denial talking.  Believe me, I’ve been there. I wish I could give you a hug right now, Finn.”

“I- We need to do all of the paperwork still, for Amelia.  And settle into a routine.  Finalize our childcare… and I don’t want Amelia to think I’m abandoning her.”

Anne looked disappointed. “I understand, Finn. Truly.”

“No, mom, I’m coming.  I’m just talking it out. I can maybe do three weeks?  If something doesn’t suddenly happen sooner.” He realized he’d just called his father’s death ‘something.’  “I’ll make it work.  I’ll talk to Greg at work, and get some time.  I’ll make it work.”

Now there was a look of relief on Anne’s face, like she was happy she wasn’t going to have to face this alone. “I’ll let you know if anything changes.  I love you, Finn.”

“Love you, mom.”  Finn disconnected, then dropped his head into his hands.  Poe found him like that a few minutes later, and Finn felt the couch sink, felt Poe’s arms wrap around him and pull him into Poe’s warmth. Finn had no tears, but whispered the new information to Poe while Poe gently rocked him.

\---------------------------------------------

The three week deadline meant everything had to be pushed more quickly, but it helped that Amelia was unwilling to spend another day without Finn and Poe.  In fact, she fell into the rhythm of their lives so easily that it was like she had been made for them.  Her routines were incorporated into theirs without  awkwardness.  Finn and Poe got used to carrying around a messenger bag of her snacks and medical supplies. Poe even found a used pickup with a four door cab, so he could maintain the utility of a work vehicle and have space for a car seat, too. Amelia sat with Finn to watch Poe play soccer, which she enjoyed.  She also enjoyed Mary, who liked to braid her hair, but most of Mary's nephews were a little too rambunctious for her.

Poe had stepped back from some of the final winter work to take a week to hang out with Amelia and help her acclimate. They had a smooth relationship for the most part, although Amelia always wanted to FaceTime on Finn’s lunch and insisted that she and Poe wait for Finn outside when they heard his car pull into the driveway. Finn and Poe continued to take her to appointments with Steve, where she was amazing everyone with her progress.  They found a daycare provider with expertise in monitoring children with diabetes.

Adoption finalization would take at least six months, as the state, via her social worker, determined whether it was a good fit.  Until then, Finn and Poe were legally considered her foster parents. Finn considered the wait a good omen, as it seemed that all of the great moments of his life happened in the summer. He told Mary that she could tentatively plan a party for August.

The night before he had to fly to Santa Fe, Finn went to bed shortly after Amelia to get some sleep before his redeye.  Still, he woke up when he heard whimpering sounds coming from the monitor in Amelia’s room.  He got up groggily, to find Poe, the other monitor still attached to his belt, already opening the door to Amelia’s room.  He stood back, letting Poe deal with it on his own.

Poe sat on the edge of Amelia’s bed and began rubbing her back, just like he did when Finn was upset. “Shhhh, honey.  It’s okay.  Did you have a nightmare?”  Amelia nodded, tear tracks streaming down her face. “Do you want to tell me about it?” She shook her head.

“Would you sing to me?” she asked, in a whisper that Finn almost couldn’t hear.

“Of course,” Poe replied, continuing to rub her back.

_"Close your eyes, lay your head down, now it's time to sleep_

_May you find great adventure as you lie and dream_

_If you're scared of the darkness, I will calm your fear_

_There's a light in the hallway, so you know I'm here_

 

_So count your blessings every day_

_It makes the monsters go away_

_And everything will be okay_

_You are not alone_

_You are right at home_

_Goodnight, goodnight"_

Amelia looked up at him pensively, tears stopped but not sleepy yet. “What does “Count your blessings” mean?”

“It means, make a list of all the good things in your life. If you think about the good things, about the things you love, it will chase the monsters away.”

“Like Buli,” she said as she snuggled her stuffed cat tighter to her chest.  From the bottom of the bed, the real Buli raised her head and blinked.

“Yeah, like Buli.  Or like, your room, or Miss Hannah from school, or your daddy.”

Amelia unclutched a hand from her stuffed cat to trace figures on Poe’s knee. “Don’t forget you, daddy. I love you, too.”

Finn’s breath caught in his throat.

“Do you think daddy will get mad if I call you daddy, too?”

Finn entered the room. “Absolutely not.  I would love to share the name.”  He sat down beside Poe on Amelia’s bed, hand covering Poe’s. He didn’t need to glance at Poe to know that Poe was trying to process his emotions. “We love you, Amelia.  Do you think you can fall back asleep now?”

She nodded, and Poe leaned down to plant a kiss on her forehead. Finn smoothed her hair, and tucked her blanket in around her.

They left the room, and this time it was Finn who comforted Poe as he let some of his emotions go.  Poe lifted his head suddenly, worried look on his face.  “Babe, you should be sleeping.  You have to get up in, what, 2 hours?” He started dragging Finn back to the bedroom.

“I might as well stay up at this point.” Finn grinned. “Maybe you could entertain me?  Distract me from the fact that I have to get into a metal tube 30,000 feet in the air with a hundred other people in a few hours?”

“Hmm.  Okay,” Poe said, as he tugged at the strings of Finn’s pajama pants. “What would you like to do?  Monopoly?  Parcheesi?” Poe ran his hand down the full length of Finn, and smirked. “Poker?”

Finn groaned. “Oh, wow, babe, that was _horrible_. Already mastering dad jokes, huh?”

“Mouthy tonight, huh?” Poe retorted, groaning as well when Finn’s clever hands found their way to his sensitive spots, too. Finn laughed as Poe pulled them into the bed.

**Author's Note:**

> I've had Amelia as a character forming in my head since the first time kids were mentioned that in this series. 
> 
> Poe’s lullaby to Amelia is the amazing Pentatonix Song,“Light in the Hallway.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlppyBJhLnc  
> Look, I still don't know how to do a link in the doobly doo! (Sorry)
> 
> Come be friends with me on tumblr @animalasaysrauer
> 
> Prompts/ideas? Comment below or message me on tumblr. 
> 
> <3 <3 <3 you all.


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